Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“You don’t know that.” She shook her head. “I don’t even know that.”
“You’re so beautiful that it literally hurts my eyes to look at you. Trust me, I know.” I paused, letting my words sink in. “Is he why you cut your hair, or did you do that because you know how much I love it?”
“I cut it because I was tired of looking in the mirror at the girl who’s your best friend. I’m just trying to find my own identity.”
“Are you happy? Are you happy with him?” I had to know.
She didn’t reply for what felt like forever until she finally did but just nodding.
“Is he good to you?”
She nodded again, frowning. “Beau isn’t the first guy I’ve dated since I moved to California.”
“He’s just the first guy you didn’t tell me about, but he is the first guy you’ve fucked since me. Now that much I do know.”
“Are you trying to hurt me?”
I didn’t hesitate to confirm, “No.”
Livvy
“He’s everything your father wants for you.”
He stepped toward me, and I immediately stepped back. Which made him stop and cock his head to the side. “Scared of me?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why won’t you let me touch you? Because the second I put my hands on you, you’ll know who you really belong to?”
“That’s enough!”
“It doesn’t make it any less true.”
My chest heaved with each word that fell from his lips.
“Let me touch you, Livvy. Let me prove to you that everything I say is true.”
He came at me, but this time, I expected it, so when my back hit the tree where my swing was, he instantly caged me in with his arms. His face was now mere inches away from mine. I felt him everywhere and all at once.
His scent.
His body.
His eyes.
His mouth.
Although the only thing that touched me was his arms.
“Tell me to leave, Livvy. Tell me to go. Tell me to stop.”
“Ethan,” I warned in a voice I didn’t recognize.
He placed his forehead on mine, bringing his arms closer to frame my face. “Tell me,” he groaned, making my stomach flutter and my body warm.
His mouth was so close to mine that I could feel his breath. As if testing me, he licked his lips, slowly, only provoking me.
He proved to me that he was right.
I shut my eyes. I had to. The realization was too hard to admit, and I knew he could see it in my eyes.
He knew me.
“Ethan,” I panted, my breathing mimicking his. “Please…”
He rasped like he hung on by a thread, “Please what, Livvy?”
I turned my face.
“That’s what I thought.” He instantly backed away from me, and I felt the loss of his warmth, his love.
I stepped toward him, but now it was his turn to back away.
“Ethan…”
He smiled sadly. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that truly matters to me.”
I forced back the tears that wanted to escape. I would not cry. I was supposed to be happy. Beau makes me happy.
Then why do I feel like I’m dying?
I spent the past two years trying to forget about our summer together, and I couldn’t until I met Beau. Except I didn’t tell Ethan that. I know why I didn’t…
Yes, I do.
A huge part of me was terrified that if I told Ethan I was falling for someone else, I’d be giving him the okay that he could as well. I knew that was a selfish reason, but it was there, nonetheless.
Reading my mind, he started walking back toward his truck. Never taking his intense stare off mine.
Even when he asked, “Still my girl?”
I didn’t waver in replying…
“Always.”
Chapter
Sixteen
Livvy
Twenty-Two Years Old
Beau argued, “It’s him, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not because of Ethan.”
“Bullshit. Everything is because of Ethan.”
“Beau, that’s not true.”
“Livvy, we’ve been together for over two years, and he still calls you at all hours of the night. Not to mention, the number of times you two text during the day is fucking ridiculous.”
“He’s my best friend.”
“So you’ve said, over and over again. I’m sick of not coming first.”
“Beau, you do come first. When do I not put you first?”
“Every single time you put him first instead. I can’t believe you missed dinner with my parents. You knew they were only in town for the weekend.”
“I know… I’m sorry, but Ethan needed me to help him with something. I didn’t do it on purpose, and I didn’t know that dinner with your parents was that important.”
“They wanted to see you, Liv. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to just sit there at dinner and for you not to show up?”
“I lost track of time. I’m sorry.”
We stood in my apartment, fighting in the kitchen.
“I’m tired of all your apologies. Especially because most of them center around your so-called best friend.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what it means. You never take that fucking necklace he gave you off. You know, this is just icing on the cake. You’re pissed at me for calling you out on your excuses again.”